Marion teacher named best in Arkansas

Alexia Weimer, a kindergarten teacher at Avondale Elementary School in the Marion (Ark.) School District, has been named Arkansas' 2013 Teacher of the Year.

Weimer has been a teacher for six years, all at Avondale Elementary. She holds a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and a master's degree in educational leadership from Arkansas State University.

"While I have an entire staff of excellent teachers, Alexia Weimer is the teacher I would want for my child," said Principal Glenda Bryan. "She goes beyond what most teachers do to ensure authentic student engagement in learning."

Weimer has a reputation for making learning fun by using technology to teach and engage students.

The Arkansas contest is part of the National Teacher of the Year Program, which started in 1952. Under state law, Weimer may take a year of paid leave for professional development and serve as a nonvoting member of state Board of Education.

She will receive $15,000 from the Walton Family Foundation, a longtime sponsor of the award.